
Photo Credit: Guillermo Viera Alvarez
PhD students from outside of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs may pursue a Doctoral Certificate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy. The certificate program allows PhD candidates to broaden their education to include SPIA courses and an advanced policy research project, typically related to their thesis, that draws on the policy-relevant social sciences.
PhD candidates interested in environmental policy topics may apply for the HMEI-STEP Fellowship, which provides additional structure and funding support to pursue a STEP certificate. However, PhD candidates who are not part of this fellowship program may also pursue the certificate. The PhD certificate requirements (listed below) are the same with or without a fellowship.
Coursework
PhD candidates pursuing the certificate are required to complete three (3) graduate-level courses in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Doctoral students must take:
- At least one SPIA STEP-approved science and technology policy course (see below for approved course list)
- Two additional graduate-level courses at SPIA. Please search the Princeton Course Catalog for a full course listing.
All courses must be taken for academic credit prior to a student entering DCE status. Two half-semester courses equal one full course toward the requirement.
Faculty Advising:
All students applying for a certificate must identify a STEP faculty member (who cannot be the student’s primary thesis adviser) to serve as their adviser for the program. (Non-SPIA faculty who are affiliated with C-PREE or CITP may, with permission of the STEP Certificate Director, serve as an adviser.)
Advanced Paper Requirement
PhD candidates must also meet the advanced policy paper requirement. Students should work with their STEP faculty advisor to ensure the paper satisfies these requirements. This paper must represent original scholarly work, deemed of publishable quality (i.e. in a peer-reviewed or equivalent publication) and is often developed as a chapter of the student’s dissertation. Candidates must also fulfill the requirements of their home department.
Enrollment:
Students interested in obtaining the STEP certificate should complete the Certificate Declaration form online and reach out to the Certificate Director to discuss course selection and advising.
2025/2026 STEP Approved Courses
Fall 2025 |
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SPI 405 / ENV 405 / EEB 356: The Global Land Challenge for Food, Climate and Biodiversity, Timothy Searchinger |
SPI 585c: Topics in STEP: Leadership in Policymaking: AI & Climate Technology, Ali Nouri |
SPI 586e: Topics in STEP: Natural Hazards and Disaster Policy, Eric Tate |
SPI 586f / COS 586: Topics in STEP: Technology Policy and Law, Jonathan Mayer |
SPI 593n: Topics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): GIS for Public Policy [Session II], Tsering Shawa, William Guthe |
SPI 594f: Topics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Environmental Justice and Policy in the U.S. [Session II], Nicky Sheats |
SPI 594u: Topics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Data Privacy in the US and Europe: A Comparative Perspective [Session I], Helena Kaslova |
Spring 2026 (tentative) |
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SPI 548: Weapons of Mass Destruction and International Security, Chris Chyba |
SPI 585a: Topics in STEP: Societal Impacts of Data, Algorithms and AI, Aleksandra Korolova |
SPI 586a: Topics in STEP: Machine Learning for Policy Analysis, Brandon Stewart |
SPI 586b: Topics in STEP: Climate Change Politics and Policy, Navroz Dubash |
SPI 586(TBD): Topics in STEP: Science for Policy and Policy for Science, Arvind Narayanan |
SPI 593g: Satellite Imagery for Policymakers, People, and the Planet, [Session II], Alexander Glaser |
SPI 594s: Climate Change: Science, Policy and Mitigation, Denise Mauzerall |
SPI 594v: Vaccination: Epidemic Dynamics, Policy and Vaccine Hesitancy [Session II], Bryan Grenfell |
SPI 594w: Climate Finance [Session I], Katya Gratcheva |
ENE 522/MAE 533: Introduction to the Electricity Sector-Engineering, Economics, and Regulation, Jesse Jenkins |
2024/2025 STEP Approved Courses
Fall 2024 |
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SPI 527c: Public Management in the Digital Technology Age, Steven Strauss |
SPI 581c: Energy Economics, Amy Craft |
ENE 549 / SPI 583: Integrated Assessment Modeling for Climate Policy Making, Wei Peng |
SPI 585b: Topics in STEP: Cities and Climate Change, Benjamin Bradlow |
SPI 586e: Topics in STEP: Natural Hazards and Disaster Policy, Eric Tate |
SPI 591g: Policy Workshop: Strengthening Urban Climate Adaptation and Finance, Devanne Brookins |
SPI 593n: GIS for Public Policy [Session II], Tsering Shawa, William Guthe |
SPI 594f: Environmental Justice and Policy in the U.S. [Session II], Nicky Sheats |
SPI 594s: Climate Change: Science, Policy and Mitigation [Session II], Denise Mauzerall |